


Earth Angel

by Snakeskin



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Feelings, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 10:26:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18939073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snakeskin/pseuds/Snakeskin
Summary: Toni is a literal angel and Cheryl is one of her wards.  She watches Cheryl's life fall apart from afar but when the universe provides a second chance, Toni finds herself much closer to Cheryl.Follows season one and two canon. About 60% original content, 40% canon dialogue.idk what this is, just read it.





	Earth Angel

“She’s so sad,” Toni whispers to herself, her wings curling around her body as she peers through the clouds.  She watches as the girl named Cheryl Blossom, dressed in all white, cries on her bed, her sobs racking her body but somehow she still manages to look utterly beautiful even with tear stained cheeks.  Toni’s eyes follow the mother, Penelope, as she leaves Cheryl’s room in an angry huff. She sighs, feeling helpless and wishes Cheryl had a better family now that she no longer has her brother Jason, but little does Toni know that life will only get worse for the beautiful, broken Blossom girl in the coming months.

 

\---

 

Toni lets out a full on belly laugh as she watches Cheryl enter the baby shower held at the Pembrooke, yelling out an enthusiastic ‘We’re herreee!’ to announce the Blossom’s arrival.  Her wings stretch out widely in amusement. She allows herself to swing her feet that are dangling over the cloud, her heart beat thumping happily in her chest at the rare, genuine smile that graces Cheryl pretty lips.  Toni knows that she should be splitting her time evenly amongst her other wards but she always lingers just a little bit longer when watching over Cheryl Blossom.

 

\---

 

“My lipstick’s maple red, by the way.  In case you’re wondering why it tastes so sweet,” Toni hears her say.  Toni had averted her eyes at the kiss but now she looks back down at Cheryl, a vision in teal, as she watches a departing Archie Andrews.  Even from all the way up in the clouds, she can feel loneliness begin to wrap a finalizing, icy grip around Cheryl Blossom’s heart. Toni’s wings droop against her shoulders and she wonders if she’ll ever see Cheryl happy.  

 

\---

 

Something bad is coming, it’s right at the cusp of Cheryl’s world.  Toni can feel it, an unseen force is closing in on her favorite ward and the shift in energy is palpable.  Her wings bristle as she watches Penelope painfully dig her thumbs into Cheryl’s pale hands, dragging her all the way from their living room to the barn on the other side of their property.  She watches as Penelope shoves Cheryl into the barn, exclaiming more or less that she nor Clifford are hiding anything about their million dollar maple business. Toni watches as Cheryl gazes around at the stacked maple barrels, not entirely convinced.

 

\---

 

Toni’s heart is in her throat as she observes Cheryl weeping at the way Penelope speaks about Clifford’s passing so blandly and without emotion.  She silently curses Penelope Blossom’s name when the woman wonders darkly if it best to follow in Clifford’s footsteps, taking her own life rather than biding her time for the Grim Reaper’s inevitable approach.  Toni’s heart drops into her stomach in fear when Cheryl’s eyes gaze longingly up at the rafters of the barn and truly _considers._

 

\---

 

When Cheryl waits in the locker room for Veronica’s arrival, only to hand over her beloved Vixens and HBIC shirt, that’s when Toni knows.  Angels can only interfere when their wards mean to do harm to themselves or to others and Toni is willing to bet both of her wings that Cheryl has lost all hope.  The last of it dying in the barn with her mother’s cold-hearted words.

 

\---

 

She’s still speaking with the elders as to how soon she can descend, walk amongst the mortals, so she can become Cheryl’s appointed guardian angel when Cheryl approaches Jughead in the cafeteria, apologizing for her behavior and gifting him her favorite spider brooch.  Toni feels a glimmer of hope, Cheryl is seemingly on the cusp of opening up to Veronica but Veronica’s attention is taken away and Cheryl is left alone. Again. Toni’s wings are beating back and forth as she feels anxiety grip her body, time seems to be moving too fast and she can’t help but think that if she doesn’t get down to Cheryl _right_ now that it will be too late for the beautiful yet entirely misunderstood Cheryl Blossom.

 

\---

 

All Toni can do is wait as the elders discuss amongst themselves.  Her body is practically buzzing at this point, a sure sign that a ward of hers is in immediate trouble or danger.  Her wings haven’t stopped beating causing a small draft around her but it’s an anxious tick that she’s always had. She sees Cheryl descend the main stairs of Thornhill, asking Penelope if she can stay home from school because it’s too hard to pretend.  Her voice is quiet, small, and trembling. It’s the first time Toni has had a violent thought towards a mortal when her mother spits out that she doesn’t care. How someone can be so vile she doesn’t understand. Toni has never felt so helpless to stop an imminent tragedy.  She doesn’t wipe away the tears that slide down her cheeks because Cheryl deserves them. Cheryl deserves someone who cares about her. Cheryl deserves to be loved.

 

\---

 

Toni’s knees are drawn up, tucked underneath her chin and her arms are wrapped around her legs.  Her wings have finally stopped beating and are now laying like a blanket against her back, as if they’ve lost hope too.  Toni is no longer anxious. Now she’s just numb. She doesn’t want to watch but she can’t tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding before her.  Cheryl is beating at the ice with her fists, clothed in the same white dress that she wore to Jason’s funeral. The same dress she wore when she last saw the only person who ever loved her.  It’s tragically poetic that she’ll be in the same white dress when they reunite. She’s ready to meet Jason again in the sweet hereafter. Toni’s eyes are blurry with silent tears, the words _I’m sorry_ and _please_ repeat over and over in her mind.  She lets out a gut wrenching sob when Cheryl falls through the ice and the buzzing in her body disappears a few moments later, a sure sign that Cheryl Blossom has departed from this world.

 

\---

 

She gasps loudly, choking on a sob that catches in her throat because the buzzing is back.  She lifts her head up from her knees, looks down below and sees Archie Andrews performing mouth to mouth on a motionless Cheryl.  She’s not out of the woods yet. A few moments pass but suddenly Archie sits back as Cheryl spits out a mouthful of water. Toni pushes herself out of her seated position and feels her wings stand at attention.  She mentally thanks Archie Andrews, and then his father and mother for raising such a selfless boy when she notices his bloody, broken hand. She watches Cheryl until she’s wrapped up in a blanket in front of a fire at the Pembrooke, finally knowing she’s safe, Toni goes to find the elders.  She finds that she doesn’t have to say a word, as soon as she sees them, they all give her a singular nod and she understands that she’s just been appointed as Cheryl Blossom’s guardian angel.

 

Toni finds that becoming Cheryl’s guardian angel isn’t as straightforward as she thought it would be.  She doesn’t even attend the same school, in fact she attends a school that’s on the Southside, a poverty-stricken area of Cheryl’s hometown that she doesn’t think the Blossom heir has ever stepped foot in.  She wonders what the elders are up to until she’s asked if she wants to give a tour to a new student by the name of Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III. She recognizes his moniker immediately as one of the four involved in saving Cheryl from the depths of Sweetwater River, and so she agrees to play tour guide, smiling to herself at the peculiarities of fate.

 

\---

 

It’s funny to Toni really, how caught up she gets in her temporary human life.   She understands the frustrations that her Southside peers feel at the consistent unfair treatment they receive from the authorities and Northsiders alike.  Can’t help the biting words that spill from her mouth when Betty alludes that the Blackhood is from the Southside and potentially a Serpent no less. She tries to be the voice of reason amongst the Serpents who approach justice with a switchblade in one hand and a pipe bomb in the other.  Senses deep pride in herself when Jughead passes the final and incredibly, violent Serpent initiation. She doesn’t remember feeling so opinionated, so involved, so _alive_ about everyday happenings up there in the pristine, white clouds.  She thinks she likes the grittiness of life down here amongst the mortals.

 

\---

 

Some time has passed since she’s made her descent from above and she’s wondering when she’ll ever get to meet Cheryl.  Her life isn’t in danger anymore, her body hasn’t buzzed since that frightening day when Cheryl had almost succumbed to the icy currents of Sweetwater River.  Toni is simply biding her time now, having faith in the path that the elders have set her on. She’s having fun, she’s even partaking in a drag race of all things.  She’s the flag girl, so she’s walking to her position between two muscle cars when she sees someone familiar confidently stride past her with the intention to take her place.  

 

“Uh, I usually do the honors,” she says casually, hoping she’s successful in keeping the sheer excitement out of her voice as her eyes take in Cheryl Blossom in the flesh.

 

“Not today, Cha Cha,” says the redhead with flair, “I was born for this moment.”

 

So that’s how they meet Toni thinks to herself as she watches Cheryl’s lithe figure arch into a curve, throwing her arms down signaling the cars to take off.  She smiles at the dramatics of Cheryl Blossom. She can’t wait for their next encounter.

 

\---

 

Toni is sitting on the steps of Southside High with Jughead when she hears the doors behind her crash open.  A stream of students with Sweet Pea and Fangs at the helm begin to pour out, all shouting for joy, the picture of raucous youth.

 

“What’s going on,” Jughead questions.  

 

“This hellhole’s officially closed.  We’re done! No more Southside High,” Sweetpea answers exuberantly.  “We’re going to Riverdale High.”

 

She’s stunned to say the least.  Here Toni was waiting for their next (in her mind, brief) interaction, but it seems like she’ll be sharing Riverdale High’s hallways with none other than Cheryl Blossom.  For some reason the idea of being in close proximity to Cheryl makes her excited _and_ nervous.

 

\---

 

Toni can’t take her eyes off of Cheryl as she descends the stairs.  Even as classist derogatives such as _Southside scum_ come spewing out from her mouth, she can’t help but be aware of everything that this girl has gone through.  Also, she’s very beautiful, that doesn’t hurt either.

 

“Listen up, raggamuffins,” Cheryl snaps commandingly.  “I will not allow Riverdale High’s above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with,” Cheryl glances around and nods her head “underachievers.”

 

Toni feels fire burn in her chest, that one stung, she’s _so_ tired of Northsiders thinking they’re better than everyone else.  In this moment, it doesn’t matter that the words just spoken have fallen from the mouth of the very girl that she’s been placed here to bolster up.  She’s still loyal to her Southside family. Her wings are spread out behind her, feathers fanned out, but invisible to human eyes.

 

She steps forward, separating herself from her group and challenges Cheryl, “Why don’t you come over here and say that to my face?”

 

Cheryl responds quickly, stepping forward herself, “Happily, Queen of the Buskers.”

 

Toni continues to stare down Cheryl, and Cheryl does the same, only averting their eyes as Archie Andrews steps in between them.  As the two warring groups are made to disperse by principal Weatherbee, Toni finds herself shaking her head. This is not how she was hoping their first encounter as schoolmates would go.

 

\---

 

Toni feels pride bubbling up inside of her as she walks alongside her Serpent brothers and sisters in Pickens Park.  She stands in front of the gazebo where Veronica and the Pussycats are performing and begins her speech, amplified through a bullhorn speaker.  As she’s informing the crowd of the slaughtering of the Uktena tribe by the hands of General Pickens, she watches as Cheryl leaves her mother’s side and stands in solidarity with the Southside instead.  Toni’s heart beats a little faster and she feels her wings flutter involuntarily as she locks eyes with Cheryl and is given a subtle nod of support.

 

\---

 

“It’s Cheryl, you welfare baby.”  Toni can’t help but chuckle at the dig, even though the insult could easily be directed at her.  She lets the rest of the conversation play out before entering the bathroom and finds Cheryl completely unaffected, primping in front of a mirror.  

 

“Did you just tell Jughead that Archie and Betty kissed?”

 

“Yes.  So what if I did?”

 

Toni turns to look at Cheryl, “Did you at least have a reason?”

 

Cheryl caps her lipstick, “Oh that’s right...You’re new here.”  She finally turns to look Toni in the eyes. “Hi, I’m Cheryl Blossom, AKA Cheryl Bombshell, which means I need no reason.  I simply am. Feel free to tremble.” She turns her gaze back to the mirror and continues her primping.

 

Feeling bold, Toni takes a small step forward, “I have a better idea.”  She notices Cheryl turn and that the expression on her face is one of mild panic, the realization that her usual haughtiness hasn’t pushed Toni away.  Toni presses on, “Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you? Because clearly you’re in a lot of pain.” She finishes her gentle prodding by placing her hand on Cheryl’s bicep, hoping the small affection eases the girl into opening up.  

 

Alas.

 

“Get your _sapphic_ , Serpent hands off my body,”  Cheryl all but screams while slapping Toni’s hand off of her arm.  Toni can’t help but smirk as she watches Cheryl storm out of the restroom.  

 

The girl is too much.  

 

Toni likes it.

 

\---

 

A visit from one of the elders is not what she’s expecting as she’s getting ready to meet Fangs for a movie.  She’s scouring her closet for that one jacket that she loves wearing, besides her Serpent leather of course when she hears a voice.

 

“Antoinette, my disciple, how are things faring with your charge?”

 

Toni almost has a heart attack, spinning around to face whoever’s broken into the trailer.  She lets out a sigh of relief when her eyes are met with a white robed figure.

 

“Holy sh-,” Toni winces at her slip.  The elder smiles patiently.

 

“They’re, uhm, progressing,” Toni says rather sheepishly.

 

The elder walks towards Toni and places a warm hand on her shoulder, the touch allowing Toni’s thoughts and memories to be absorbed.  

 

“Ah, I see you’ve had three encounters so far,” the elder pauses, giving her shoulder a squeeze and furrowing their brow slightly, “Oh, the last two were quite, memorable.”  

 

“It doesn’t look good, I know, but this girl, she’s complicated,”  Toni spills out almost defensively. She’s pulling on a denim jacket with sherpa detailing on the collar and cuffs.  “There’s a lot brewing beneath the surface, but I think she’ll open up once she finds someone she can trust.” She’s grabbing the keys to her motorcycle and glancing around the room, looking for anything she’s forgotten.  Finding nothing, Toni returns her gaze to the elder who’s watching her calmly, “I plan to be that person.”

 

The elder simply nods knowingly and just like that, they’re gone.  Toni sighs, closes her bedroom door behind her and makes her way to the Bijou.

 

\---

 

“Crap,”  Toni mutters as she checks her phone and sees Fang’s text.  He can’t make it but she’s already bought her ticket. She should’ve checked her phone earlier but she’s been a little out of it since the unexpected visit from the elder.  Toni deliberates on whether she should stay to watch the movie alone or leave and forget this night ever happened. Glancing around the lobby, her eyes fall on red hair and she smiles, her mood instantly lifting.

 

She can’t help the teasing in her voice as she walks over to the concessions, sidling up next to Cheryl, “Let me guess...some cherry cola for Cheryl Bombshell,” she crosses her arms waiting for the girl’s response with a smile plastered on her face.  She takes a moment to appreciate how the dimmed theater lights make the usual striking Cheryl Blossom look incredibly soft.

 

Cheryl turns slightly and upon recognizing Toni falls into her into old ways, though it doesn’t have the same bite as their earlier encounter, “Oh my god.  What do you want? And why do you keep stalking me?”

 

Toni’s eyebrows shoot up at the accusation but she’s responding before her mind can start comparing the similarities of being someone’s guardian angel to being their stalker.  She can hear the defensiveness in her voice when she replies, “I’m not. I came to see this movie with Fangs and he bailed on me.”

 

Cheryl still looks unsettled as she releases a breath.

 

Toni picks up on Cheryl’s mood and with a softer voice asks, “Are you okay?”

 

“I’m alone at the movies and I’m trying to stay away from my mother, who has turned our house into her sexual playpen.”  

 

Toni’s mouth falls open.

 

Cheryl purses her lips and nods, “So, no, I’m really not.”

 

“Well, I was gonna go grab a seat alone, unless you want some company. But no pressure,” Toni offers, hoping Cheryl will let her in.  She watches as Cheryl lifts the straw of her soda to her mouth, tempering the smile that’s gracing her lips.

 

Toni feels both her heart and her wings flutter at the sight.  She likes seeing Cheryl smile and she really likes being the cause of it.

 

\---

 

She’s reaching for another handful of popcorn, it seems Cheryl has the same idea because their hands graze against one another and it feels like an electric charge runs up through her fingers directly into her pulsing heart and spreads into her folded wings.  Their eyes lock and Toni can’t remember what breathing is. Cheryl is the first one to look away and Toni does the same but not before noticing the tears that track down her face.

 

\---

 

“Now you may think you’ve mastered the art of silent tears, but I saw you crying during that movie, Cheryl,” she says to the somber girl beside her, hoping to tease her into better spirits.

 

“I never cry at movies.  Real life’s tragic enough,”  Cheryl states simply.

 

Toni remains silent, hoping the girl feel comfortable enough with her to continue.  

 

And she does.

 

“But when Simon’s mom said he used to be such a carefree kid growing up, and then at a certain point he stopped being that happy kid because he was hiding a secret, I just…,”  Cheryl pauses as tears silently begin to run down her cheeks.

 

Toni starts with concern, “Cheryl…” but even with more tears brimming in eyes, Cheryl continues.

 

“Everyone thinks I’m this loveless monster, but it isn’t true,” Cheryl sobs.  “I loved someone who loved me. And my mother destroyed it.”

 

“You mean your brother Jason?  I heard how close you guys were,”  Toni nods in understanding.

 

“No, not Jay-Jay,” Cheryl shakes her head slightly and whispers the next word, but repeats herself, voice louder this time, “ _Her_ name was Heather.”  

 

Cheryl looks at Toni then, her tears are now falling freely down her chin and her eyes seem to be probing Toni’s for something.  Toni thinks she’s looking for any sign of judgement because when Cheryl doesn’t find it, Toni can almost feel a weight lift as Cheryl unburdens herself with a secret that she’s been holding inside for too long.

 

“She was my best friend in junior high,” Cheryl smiles at the memory.  “She used to sleep over every weekend.” Her voice cracks as she admits what her mother did, “Until one night, my mother caught us in the same bed.  She said I was ‘deviant.’”

 

God, Toni really hates Penelope Blossom, but she pushes that down because that’s not what Cheryl needs right now.  

 

“Cheryl, I am so sorry.  But you have to know your mother’s wrong.”  Toni pauses because she really needs Cheryl to hear what she has to say next.  No, not just hear it but _believe_ it.

 

“You’re not loveless.  You’re not deviant. Okay?”

 

Toni clasps Cheryl’s hand, the physical show of support almost seems to surprise Cheryl.  She looks at Toni, eyes wide and searching.

 

“ _You’re sensational,_ ” Toni states firmly, hoping Cheryl can feel the conviction of her words.  The truth in them.

 

The look that Toni receives is blinding.  Brighter than any miracle that she’s witnessed while up above in the clouds.  Cheryl Blossom without any walls, completely open, vulnerable to the world but filled with _hope_ is truly a sight to behold.  

 

Toni thinks this is when things start to change.  She thinks this is the exact moment she begins falling for Cheryl Blossom.  

 

This is dangerous.  Angels can’t fall for humans.  

 

She pushes that thought down too.

 

\---

 

Ever since the night at Pop’s, her friendship with Cheryl has been getting stronger.  Their relationship has turned from withering glares in the hallways to happy but hurried conversations in between classes, text conversations that run late into the night and impromptu milkshakes after school.  Toni has never felt happiness like this before. All the emotions she feels seem to be stronger down here, especially the ones she feels when she’s around Cheryl. Her body always seems to buzz when she’s around the girl, and it’s not the buzz she feels when any of her wards are in danger, no this feeling is connected to the way Cheryl makes _her_ feel.  That same electricity pass through her body when the aforementioned girl steps in rhythm beside her.

 

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone this because it’s hush-hush but, you don’t count,” Cheryl happily says in greeting.  

 

Toni simply continues to walk forward, waiting amusedly for what Cheryl has to say.

 

“My murdering father’s will is being read and I’m certain to inherit a sizeable nest egg.  Wanna come and witness my phoenix-like rise from the depths of poverty?”

 

Toni still in mild disbelief at how Cheryl can mention her late, villainous father in such an off hand way can’t help but feel proud that the girl seems so much more resilient now than she was just a few months ago.  So with a grin, she responds the only way she can.

 

“Hell yeah, I’m in.”

 

\---

 

Toni finds herself at Thistehouse hours before the will reading is even scheduled to begin.  She’s sitting on the ottoman at the foot of Cheryl’s bed as she watches the redhead rifle through her closet.

 

“Cheryl, I agreed to come to this will-reading but I didn’t agree to a makeover.”

 

At that, Cheryl turns around, a smug smile on her face and holds out a black, lace top.

 

“Unless it involves that blouse,” Toni corrects as she stands up.

 

“Nice, right?” Cheryl states rhetorically as she makes her way over to where Toni is now standing.  She comes to a stop a mere foot away from the smaller girl.

 

“For the record, _j’adore_ your flannel mesh aesthetic,”  Cheryl affirms. “I’m merely,” her voice lowers to something more sultry, “ _augmenting it for the occasion.”_

 

For a brief moment the two girls just stare at each other, wondering if the other is feeling what’s so obviously growing in their own heart.  Then all too soon the door to Cheryl’s room bursts open, revealing Penelope Blossom in all her unwanted glory.

 

“What is going on in here, Cheryl,” she demands.

 

Toni is the first to pull herself out of her Cheryl induced haze, quickly answering, “Mrs. Blossom, hi, I’m Toni Topaz.  I’m a friend of Cheryl’s from school and she’s lending me an outfit for the will-reading.”

 

Cheryl lifts up the blouse as if to corroborate her story.

 

Ever gracious, Penelope spits out, “And why on Earth would you be there,” looking at Toni as if she’s the dirt beneath her overpriced heels.

 

Toni pauses but only because she’s deliberating whether she should kick or punch Penelope Blossom in the face.  Her wings bristle. Cheryl unknowingly saves her mother from a black eye when she speaks in her defense.

 

“I invited her to be my emotional support,”  Cheryl answers honestly.

 

Penelope addresses her daughter once more, “Just make sure you’re downstairs before the guests start to arrive.  We need to present a united front against those scavengers.” With one last, hard look at Toni, Penelope leaves the room.

 

“Ugh.  She’s a nightmare,”  Toni states feeling disgusted.

 

“Isn’t she though,” sighs Cheryl, not at all surprised by the antics of her mother.

 

\---

 

Toni feels Cheryl’s hand grasp for hers and so she encloses the pale hand with both of hers, hoping to give her the support and reassurance that she’s desperately seeking.  She no longer is surprised when she feels that electric charge shoot from her hands to her heart to her wings. She thinks that this the first time she accepts that this is just how being close to Cheryl (or touching her) makes her feel.  What she doesn’t realize is that this feeling of acceptance and happiness is fleeting. As entertaining as Alice Cooper’s interruption is, the next interruption by a man who shares her late father’s face causes Cheryl to faint and for the foreboding buzz in Toni’s body to come back tenfold.

 

\---

 

Toni accepts Cheryl’s dinner invitation and spends the meal trying to learn more about Claudius Blossom, Clifford Blossom’s twin brother.  Though he seems harmless, even supportive of Cheryl suggested through a thinly veiled joke about an island by the name of Lesbos, Toni can’t ignore the incessant buzz that is thrumming throughout her body.  Cheryl is in danger and her Uncle Claudius has something to do with it. She might have missed her chance to save Cheryl from impending disaster the last time but there’s no way in heaven or hell that she’s going to repeat that mistake when she’s been blessed with a second chance.  She can feel her wings arc and flex in preparation.

 

\---

 

Desperate to protect Cheryl, Toni finds herself asking what it would take to land a spot on the Vixens.  The buzz in her body steadily increases as each day passes, there isn’t a moment that her wings aren’t beating back and forth, and she needs a reason to be around the girl more without coming off like a fool in love (because she’s totally not).  Cheryl is surprised but ecstatic all the same, stating that all that needs to be done is a short freestyle to showcase her dancing abilities. For a brief moment, Toni reconsiders her options but bites the bullet in the end.

 

\---

 

Toni finishes her dance with a shy smile as the row of River Vixens break into applause.  The proud smile on Cheryl’s face makes the two days of jittery nerves completely worth it.  Cheryl ends practice with the request that her inner circle Vixens hang back.

 

“In honor of Toni joining our squad, I think we should celebrate with a mandatory slumber party at Thistehouse.”

 

She had not been expecting that.  Her mind logs the time of the sleepover but what she’s really focusing on is the fact that she’ll be sleeping in the same room as Cheryl.  The familiarity of her heart racing because of Cheryl Blossom is one that she’s accepted but she doesn’t think she’ll ever become accustomed to.  

 

\---

 

They’re sitting in a row brushing each other’s hair, Toni’s at the front of the line and she can’t help but wonder what’s going on in Cheryl’s head as she feels the girl run the brush through her hair.  She’s been a little off ever since the start of the sleepover and it’s worrying Toni endlessly, but she gets her answer soon enough.

 

“Inner circle, cousin Betty.  I didn’t just bring you to Thistlehouse for a girlish slumber party. The truth is I’m terrified of being alone here.  There’s a stranger in this house. My uncle Claudius, he’s as mad as the sea, and ever since he blew in, I feel like I’m in mortal peril.”  

 

Those last words tumble out of Cheryl’s mouth and Toni wholeheartedly agrees with her but can’t exactly tell her or the other girls that her body buzzing in warning all but confirms Cheryl’s theory about her uncle.  She’s grateful for Betty when she brings up Chic and sympathizes with Cheryl’s plight, hoping it quells her fears enough so she can get some well needed rest. Something tells Toni that the girl hasn’t been able to sleep soundly since her uncle moved in.

 

\---

 

Sleep does not come easily to Toni, nor to Cheryl.  Lying in Cheryl’s bed, enveloped by the scent of wild cherries and french vanilla (the smell of her perfume), coupled with the fact that the girl herself is in such close proximity is making Toni’s head spin and her heart thump loudly against her chest.  So loudly that Toni wonders if Cheryl can hear it. Both girls know that the other is awake and the silence between is growing thick. Toni can feel Cheryl shift to look over at her and she’s just about to return the gaze but as soon as she moves, the other girl averts her eyes.  Toni can hardly handle the growing tension between them.

 

It’s in this moment that she acknowledges how singularly focused her mind and heart have been on Cheryl since they’ve gotten closer.  Toni tries telling herself that she’s just being a diligent guardian angel but she’s never been one to lie, especially to herself. It pains her to know that nothing can happen between them, she’s only here to protect and bolster Cheryl up so that nothing like what happened at Sweetwater River happens again and then she’s back up in the clouds, keeping an eye out from afar.  Angels don’t fall for humans. Angels don’t fall for humans. _Angels don’t fall for humans_.  Toni repeats the statement like a mantra, hoping that if she repeats it enough it’ll become true.  She’s pulled out of her version of counting sheep when she hears Cheryl speak.

 

“Full disclosure…,”  Cheryl turns so that she’s laying on her side, facing Toni.  

 

Toni mirrors the movement so that she’s facing Cheryl.

 

“I didn’t want to invite all the girls tonight,” Cheryl continues with a small smile, “but I knew my hideous mother would never allow me to invite just you.”  

 

Toni can’t help the smile that pulls at the corners of her mouth.

 

“Which is…,”  Cheryl pauses, her eyes searching Toni’s, “what I craved.”

 

All thoughts of responsibility and code of conduct slip from Toni’s mind because Cheryl is staring at her and her deep, brown eyes mirror the desire that’s been growing in Toni’s heart.  Her wings are closing to encircle their two bodies like a protective cocoon for lovers. All she can think of is what Cheryl’s lips must feel like, soft she imagines, and warm, definitely warm.  

 

That’s the last thing she remembers thinking because suddenly Cheryl is leaning in, and _all_ thoughts disappear.  Toni begins to lean in too because the draw she feels towards Cheryl isn’t something she has the power to fight against.  She doesn’t want to fight against it. Her heartbeat is pounding heavily against her chest and in her ears. Time slows down to a crawl.  

 

Their lips are mere centimeters apart when a loud crash resounds throughout the house.  Everything seems to happen at double time. The familiar buzz of impending danger lights Toni’s body up.  Cheryl shoots out of bed and Toni is on her heels racing out into the hallway to look over the bannister. Nana Rose is at the foot of the stairs, wheelchair tipped over, and her limbs sprawled out, unmoving.  Cheryl screams.

 

\---

 

Ever since Cheryl confessed that she thought that it was her mother and uncle who pushed her Nana Rose down the stairs and that she thought that she was next, Toni has been texting the girl every hour on the hour.  She was even willing to skip school to keep Cheryl company in the hospital but Cheryl assured her that she would be fine, but she had invited her to visit after school. That had been the last message that Toni had received.  She’s called a few times in between classes and during lunch, has left voicemails and while Cheryl’s unresponsiveness worries her a little, she reminds herself that the girl is probably just keeping busy caring for her Nana.

 

When Cheryl isn’t at the hospital, Toni’s wings begin their nervous tick, beating back and forth, but it helps to keep her mind present and focused.  Maybe she went home to grab a fresh pair of clothes she thinks. She shoots out a quick text to Cheryl, asking if she’s gone home but doesn’t wait to receive a response.  She’s hopping on her bike, peeling out of the hospital parking lot, and driving above the speed limit in the direction of Thistlehouse before too long.

 

Toni rings the bell and doesn’t have to wait too long before the door opens with Penelope Blossom staring back at her.

 

“Mrs. Blossom, hi.  I’m looking for Cheryl.  She wasn’t at the hospital with her nana.”

 

“No, she’s gone,” Penelope states simply.

 

Toni looks at her expectantly.

 

“Boarding school in Switzerland.  All girls. She left just last night,”  Penelope elaborates.

 

Toni scoffs, “Mrs. Blossom, that doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“Don’t come here again,” Penelope answers drily and shuts the door in Toni’s face.

 

Her wings bristle as she leaves the Blossom property but her mind is racing a mile a minute.  The buzz in her body is back in full force and she’s mentally kicking herself for leaving Cheryl’s side.  She checks her phone just in case, not expecting Cheryl to have texted and she isn’t surprised when there aren’t any notifications waiting for her.  

 

\---

 

It’s been hours, and Toni is sitting in Pop’s leaving yet another voicemail on Cheryl’s cell.

 

“Cheryl, this is like, the tenth message I’ve left.”  She takes a deep breath, feeling the tears brimming in her eyes before she continues.  “Wherever you are, I hope you’re hearing this. My voice telling you that I’m right there, right by your side.  You’re not alone, Cheryl. Not ever again.”

 

Toni feels like a complete failure.  She has no idea where her charge is, no, that feels too cold, too distant of a term now.  She doesn’t know where _her_ Cheryl is.  The wording causes a warmth to expand in her chest.  She thinks it’s because she’s finally being honest with herself.  She’s had a soft spot for Cheryl ever since she became one of her wards.  It may have started off as a crush, her dazzling beauty and ability to persevere making it easy to become infatuated.  But now that she’s gotten to know the girl intimately and is no longer just watching from afar? Toni can admit she’s falling, no, she’s fallen, hard.  The admission causes the warmth to expand from her chest to the rest of her body, erasing her self doubt and filling her vigor and purpose. Her wings are poised as if ready for take off.  She’s prepared to do anything to find Cheryl.

 

\---

 

“What do you mean Cheryl’s missing,” questions a confused Veronica.

 

“Do you remember how paranoid Cheryl was at her slumber party - saying that her mom and uncle were out to get her?”

 

Veronica and Josie nod.

 

“Well I think they did something to her,” Toni exclaims, her wings beating back and forth emphasizing the emotion she feels within.

 

Josie furrows her brow, “What kind of something” she asks, sharing a concerned look with Veronica.

 

Toni answers with an annoyance that’s directed towards Penelope, “Her mom said they sent her off to some all-girls boarding school in Switzerland.”

 

“Well that’s easy enough to check, there’s only one, Surval Montreux,” Veronica helpfully offers.

 

“Please.”  Toni scoffs, “If Cheryl was in the Swiss Alps, she’d be posting parka selfies every hour, but her social media’s been dead for days.”

 

Veronica’s face falls, “Wait, that’s a sure sign of foul play.”

 

Toni would laugh if the situation didn’t feel so dire.

 

“Whatever you need, Toni, I’m in,” Veronica states firmly with a nod.

 

“Me too.  Even if we have to storm Thistlehouse,” Josie quickly follows, looking scared at the thought of her friend being in a less than ideal situation.

 

Toni smiles, feeling a new appreciation for the two girls standing before her.

 

\---

 

The three girls are seated on a couch in the sitting room at Thistlehouse, facing the matriarchs of the Blossom family.

 

“Now that you’ve barged your way in, go ahead, girls, ask your questions,”  Penelope spits out exasperatedly.

 

“You said Cheryl was away at some boarding school,” Toni asks knowingly, trying to catch Penelope in a bold faced lie.

 

“Honestly.  I’m not in the habit of explaining myself to school girls.”  Penelope says with a finality, moving to wheel Nana Rose out of the room.

 

“Maybe not, but Mrs. Blossom, you may have heard that my mother is...dating Sheriff Keller,” Josie impresses.  “If you won’t tell us the truth, then maybe you’ll tell him.”

 

“All right, then.  The truth is that Cheryl started exhibiting strange, deviant behavior, so I’ve sent her abroad to a private wellness institute where they’re trying to help her.”  Penelope plucks up a book from the table and takes out a folded piece of paper. “You don’t have to believe me, but here let me show you something.”

 

Penelope with a satisfied smile on her face, hands the paper to Josie who unfolds it to find a sketch done in a too familiar style of her and Cheryl.  

 

“Oh my god,” Josie mumbles disbelievingly.  

 

Veronica looks at the drawing in confusion, “I don’t understand.”

 

“No, but Josie does, don’t you,” Penelope teases darkly with a smirk.  “Cheryl was obsessed with you. To the point where I was afraid she might hurt you, or herself, or both.

 

So if you’d like me to tell that to your mother and her _boyfriend_ , and show them and the town, Cheryl’s drawings of you, I’d be happy to.  But hopefully you girls have the decency to keep this matter private.”

 

As soon as they get outside, Josie begins to rush off, and even with Toni and Veronica stating they should regroup, _refocus,_ they know they’ve lost one of their already too few numbers.  Toni doesn’t have time to better understand the whole Josie and Cheryl situation, she’s feeling herself go stir crazy every second that Cheryl is away.  The knowledge that she’s been sent away somewhere to be _fixed,_ that she’s in danger and Toni has no idea _where_ makes desperation squeeze heavily at her heart.

 

\---

 

The teacher is going on about something about a prison in Paris but Toni isn’t really focusing on the lecture.  She’s been so utterly consumed with worry that she hasn’t been able to sleep, but she’s not tired, her body and mind are wired with anxiety.  Without being able to go to the police or having a lead to follow, Toni is stuck. After the visit with Penelope the other day, she rode around what felt like all of Riverdale hoping to catch a glimpse of beautiful, red hair but her efforts were fruitless.  Cheryl Blossom has seemingly disappeared without a trace.

 

The intercom crackles to life: _Antoinette Topaz to the Principal’s office.  Antoinette Topaz, please report to the Principal’s office_.

  
When she gets to the Principal’s office, she’s told that there’s a call for her.

 

“Hello?”

 

“She’s not far away,” an unfamiliar voice rasps with effort.

 

“Who-Who is this?”

 

“Cheryl! She’s nearby.”

 

Toni suddenly recognizes the voice, “Nana Rose?  Nana Rose, where is she?”

 

“With the Sisters of…”

 

And just like that the line disconnects.  The dial tone almost feels like a slap in the face.  But this, this is good, this is _something_.  She’s got to find Veronica.

 

\---

 

The Vixens are stretching, getting ready for cheer practice but Toni has no intention of spending an hour on learning a routine when Cheryl is in danger.  She just needs to talk to Veronica. They’re sitting in the bleachers, Toni filling in Veronica on the call she was pulled out of class for.

 

“Wait, so that was Nana Rose Blossom who paged you?”

 

“Yea, it was.  Although, we got disconnected before she could say too much beyond the fact Cheryl was nearby and that she was with the Sisters,”  Toni offers with a look of confusion on her face.

 

“The Sisters? What Sisters?”  Veronica questions, just as thrown.

 

“I don’t know.  Maybe there’s a re-education camp called the Sisters,” Toni hazards a guess.

 

“Well, there’s a Sisters of Quiet Mercy, but that’s more like an orphanage.  I don’t think they do gay conversion there.”

 

“Well, who would know for sure?”  Toni questions. Even if the Sisters of Quiet Mercy isn’t the place where Cheryl is being held, they’ve got to make sure.

 

Veronica’s face brightens with realization.  

 

Kevin Keller, bless his soul, all but confirms that Cheryl is being held at the Sisters of Quiet Mercy when he states that the institution is one of the few places still practicing in conversion therapy.  At this point, Toni’s blood is boiling. Her wings bristle more and more with every word that falls from Kevin’s lips. She wonders how many times she can say that she hates Penelope Blossom before her angel wings are taken from her for non-angelic thought speech.  Not that that’s a thing, but she just really hates Penelope Blossom. She’s sure that if her wings were to be clipped it would be for an entirely different reason.

 

A plan begins to form when Kevin admits that he’s familiar with a tunnel running beneath the SOQM that boys in the program use to sneak out to hook up in Fox Forest.  

 

“Wait, Kevin, can you lead us to this secret gay hookup tunnel?”  Veronica inquires, cogs turning in her mind.

 

“I can probably find it,” Kevin nods and with a breath continues, “but we should probably go at night.”

 

\---

 

Toni is stuffing miscellaneous items she thinks she might need in a duffle bag when she feels the energy of another presence in the room.  She turns to find an elder has appeared, a sage-like expression on their face. Toni stands from the kneeling position she’s in and waits expectantly.

 

“Antoinette, my disciple, come,” the elder gently beckons and holds out a hand.  Toni understands the request and reaches out to take the outstretched hand. She’s a little worried about what the elder will be able to see, though she’s been a dedicated guardian angel, she’s also been a little bit more to Cheryl.  

 

The elder closes their eyes, taking in Toni’s memories from the days past.  

 

“Mm, the Blossom child has opened up to you, Antoinette,” the elder says softly.  

 

Silence fills the room for a few moments.  

 

“She has quite the troubled homelife.  That mother of hers... ” A rare flicker of something other than benevolence passes over the elder’s features.  

 

Another moment of silence.

 

Toni watches as the elder’s expression, usually one of calm serenity, slowly transforms into something that she is unable to discern.

 

And the silence lingers.

 

The hand that’s still held by the elder begins to sweat.  Her wings are doing that nervous tick again, beating back and forth creating a small draft that’s causing the elder’s robes to billow only adding to their ethereality.  The elder still hasn’t commented on the memories being passed through their linked hands. Toni had been so consumed with getting everything prepared for tonight’s rescue mission that she’s forgotten the one memory that she wishes not to share, the moment too personal, _too intimate_ for the eyes of others.  A memory of satin sheets with embossed roses, pregnant silences filled with unspoken desires, and a culmination of mutual yearning interrupted.

 

Her hand falls to her side when the elder lets go.  Their eyes are now open and peering deeply into Toni’s.  Though their expression is neutral, she’s feeling utterly naked under their soul penetrating stare.  She’s about to speak, offer some feeble attempt at an explanation but she doesn’t get the chance.

 

“Antoinette, you’ve built quite the relationship with your ward,” the elder states softly while beginning to pace.  “One that’s budding into...something more. Something _beautiful,_ but not to be shared between an angel and a human.”  Their pacing slows to a stop, and the elder takes both of Toni’s hands in their own, if only to emphasize the importance of the words spoken next.  “But you must understand the consequences of embarking down such a path. Your wings, they will be taken from you.”

 

None of this is news to Toni but her wings still enclose around her protectively.  Her eyes fall to their clasped hands, unable to meet the gaze of the elder.

 

“You will be stripped of your wings, become a fallen angel, live the rest of your life amongst these mortals.  You understand, don’t you?” The question is punctuated with a gentle squeeze to her hands, prompting her to look into the eyes of the elder.

 

“I do understand.  I-I won’t let you or my ward down,” Toni shifts nervously under the elder’s gaze.

 

The elder gives Toni’s hands another squeeze before releasing them.  “All we ask is that you don’t let yourself down. Remember what is important, my child.  Now, I believe you have a ward in need of rescuing.” With a final nod, the elder is gone, leaving Toni alone in her room once more.

 

\---

 

Toni finds herself, along with Veronica and Kevin, in the middle of Fox Forest standing in front of a door overgrown with shrubbery. She silently thanks Kevin’s knowledge of the area because there would’ve been no way that she were able to find it on her own.  

 

As Toni begins to use the crowbar to break the lock on the door, she hears Veronica instructing Kevin to remain outside and call his father, the sheriff, if they aren’t back in fifteen minutes.  God, she hopes that they’ll be able to find Cheryl that quickly. Her entire body feels like a live wire, rippling with nerves and adrenaline. She has no idea what to expect once inside but finding and getting Cheryl out of this arcane facility is her top priority, no matter how long it takes.  With a metallic pop, the padlock falls to the ground with a thump and the door swings open, almost beckoning Toni and Veronica into the unknown, dark depths that lay within.

 

\---

 

Toni and Veronica climb down a ladder into an all but forgotten tunnel system, the hard ground strewn with debris and wet with dirty water caused by the leaking piping overhead.  Their flashlights provide the only light in the darkness.

 

Veronica turns to her then, “Okay.  And when we get to the main building, what happens then?”

 

“We search each and every damn room until we find her,” Toni replies with nothing but conviction and determination in her voice.

 

\---

 

They’re in the main building now, quickly making their way down the single hall, searching each room they come across.  Toni fights the fear that attempts to overtake her when each room turns up empty. She instead zeros in on the buzzing in her body that tells her that Cheryl is feeling utterly hopeless, an emotion similar to what she felt at Sweetwater River.  It pushes Toni forward, propels her to find Cheryl, to find her so that she can tell the girl that she’ll never have to feel alone again. It’s important that Cheryl hears those words. It’s downright crucial.

 

Toni and Veronica come to an intersection and without a second thought she’s telling Veronica they need to split up.  There are way too many rooms to search and if they’re going to find Cheryl in less than fifteen minutes, they need to go their separate ways.  Ushering out words of caution, they part ways.

 

\---

 

Toni’s concern for her own safety has gone out the window.  She’s barging into each room, calling out for Cheryl not caring if she’s heard.  She just wants to find her. She just wants to take her away from here. She just wants Cheryl safe.

 

Toni’s wondering just how many rooms there are in this forsaken place when the sound of faint whirring and a shadow of a lit cross catches her attention from the door at the end of the hall.  She approaches quickly, calling out Cheryl’s name again. As she gets closer to the door, she calls out for Cheryl louder. The Sisters of Quiet Mercy be damned.

 

She barges into the room, can barely make out that it isn’t empty, that she’s interrupted some sort of film viewing because the projector light that’s in her eyes is practically blinding.

 

“Cheryl, are you in here?”  Toni’s standing in front of the projector screen, trying to block the light with her hand, hoping to find the girl she’s desperate to see.

 

She sees someone rise from their seated position and her heart leaps at the sight of Cheryl, looking worse for wear in ill fitting clothing but no less beautiful.

 

“Toni?”  

 

The relief that floods through Toni’s body at the sound of Cheryl’s voice is overwhelming.

 

“We came to rescue you,” she all but pants, her chest heaving, the adrenaline slowly draining from her body.

 

“You did?”  Cheryl asks disbelievingly.  

 

Toni’s heart breaks a little, right then and there.  Cheryl’s life has been so devoid of love and affection that she’s looking at Toni as if she isn’t real.  That she can’t believe someone cares enough about her to come rescue her.

 

She watches as Cheryl finally breaks out of her stupor and surges towards the front of the room where she’s waiting for her.  Toni’s arms open intuitively, embracing Cheryl in a tight hug. She puts all the emotions she’s feeling into it, hoping Cheryl understands how relieved she is to see her again.  They both pull away from the intimate hold simultaneously, wanting to get another look at the person they’ve been missing so much in the days that they’ve been separated.  And Toni can’t help it, her hands cup Cheryl’s face delicately, and all she sees is brown eyes filled with sadness, exhaustion but most importantly hope mixed with longing.  She knows that feeling, can bet that she’s mirroring the same emotions in her own eyes.  If there’s one thing she wants to experience before she’s summoned back home, it’s without a doubt to feel Cheryl’s lips on her own.  It’s this thought that spurs her on.  Again, simultaneously, as if they are of the same heart and mind, they both lean in and unlike before, this time they aren’t interrupted.  The moment that Cheryl’s warm, trembling lips touch her own, everything seems to fall away into nothingness.  The room, the projector screen, the people, the entire world just ceases to exist.  Time comes to a standstill.  All Toni knows is Cheryl and the feeling of her lips pressing and pulling so softly against her own.

 

Her heart is beating so loudly that it feels like it’s beating out of her ears.  The thrum of a silent promise courses from Cheryl’s lips to hers, through to her chest and settles into her wings.  Toni knows in her heart that this isn’t just any kiss. She doubts she could kiss anyone else after this, doubts she’ll ever want to.  Kissing Cheryl is special. Kissing Cheryl feels right. Their lips separate momentarily only to meet again, not a second later.  She wants to memorize the feeling of Cheryl’s lips.  

 

The moment is soon interrupted when Veronica enters through the same door she barged through earlier.

 

“Cheryl, Toni, there are a bunch of nuns coming.  We have to go, come on!”

 

\---

 

The escape from the nunnery is panic-stricken and frantic.  They’re almost caught numerous times, but somehow find themselves emerging from the entrance in Fox Forest.  Toni hasn’t let go of Cheryl’s hand for the entirety of the escape but lets it slip from her hand only to barricade the door with a crowbar.  As soon as the task is complete, their hands are linked again as they run towards Kevin’s waiting truck.

 

\---

 

The ride to Southside Trailer Park is quiet.  Kevin and Veronica carrying on a hushed conversation in the front while Cheryl falls in and out of sleep on Toni’s lap.  One hand is wrapped around Cheryl’s waist while Toni’s other hand is gently carding through her hair.  Cheryl had immediately freed her signature tresses from its forced ponytail the moment they were safely seated in the backseat of Kevin’s truck.  The action had brought a sudden rush of pride to Toni’s heart.  Even after everything she’d been through in that horrendous place, Cheryl is a fighter through and through.

 

\---

 

It had taken a while but Toni had finally gotten Cheryl feeling comfortable enough in her new surroundings to fall into a light sleep.  She only had to ask for Toni to join her in Toni’s small bed before their legs were tangled beneath the warm, soft sheets.  Toni holds Cheryl close until she hears the telltale sound of her breathing evening out signaling that she had fallen into a slumber.  Toni props herself on her elbow, content to simply watch the girl before her sleep.  She looks so vulnerable, so effortlessly beautiful even in her fragile state.  Toni feels a word begin to form on the tip of her tongue and the accompanying emotion begin to fill her heart.  There's no coming back from this.  She had kissed Cheryl Blossom and caused her own undoing in the process. She had given away her heart to a human.

 

\---

 

Toni slips silently from her trailer.  Standing in the middle of the trailer park, she closes her eyes and summons the elder.  When she opens her eyes she is met once again with white, billowing robes. She hadn’t even noticed that her wings had begun to beat around her anxiously.

 

“Antoinette, I hope the rescue of your ward was successful?”

 

Toni nods slowly.  

 

“Do you believe that your work with this one is done?”

 

Toni swallows and shakes her head.

 

“My dear Antoinette, you seem quite affected, has something happened to the Blossom child?  Was she injured in the escape?” The elder’s eyes fill with concern.

 

“Elder, nothing has happened to Cheryl, b-but something has happened to me,”  Toni whispers.

 

The elder reaches out a comforting hand but Toni steps back out of reach.  She doesn’t want her memories to be read. She now has memories that she doesn't want to share with anyone, they are too important, too private, too honest.

 

The elder draws their hand back curiously.  “Well, you mustn't be hurt, it’s impossible.  Tell me what’s on your mind.”

 

“I wish-,” Toni draws in a breath.  “I know what is expected of me. I’m aware of the rules that we angels must abide by.  In all my years of service, I’ve been nothing but faithfully devoted and dutiful…” Toni looks down then, unable to finish her sentiment.

 

“Yet?”  The elder knowingly encourages.

 

With another deep breath, Toni looks the elder in the eye, “I wish to remain on Earth.”

 

Toni watches for a change in the elder’s expression and is surprised to see none.

 

“You’ve fallen.”  The elder states. The double meaning of the words not lost on Toni.

 

“I’ve fallen,” she repeats.

 

“You’re sure that this is the path you choose?”

 

Toni nods, “If I choose any other path, I won't be true to myself, to how I feel.  I would only let myself down.”

 

The elder offers a hint of an amused smile, picking up on how their own words are being repeated.  “Understood.”  A small nod.  “You will not remember any of your life prior to your descent.  Every memory involving your life beyond Earth will simply disappear from your mind.  You will have no recollection of your angelic life.  You will no longer have your wings.  Do you understand?”

 

Toni feels her wings close themselves around her body instinctually.  She wills herself to emblazon the feeling of the individual feathers touching the bare skin of her arm to memory.  Not that it matters.

 

With a firm nod of her head, Toni speaks confidently, “I understand.”

 

“Well then, this is our final farewell, Antoinette.”

 

For the last time she quietly acknowledges everything that she is letting go of.  Basking in an endless glow of love.  Spending her days caring for and watching over wonderful wards.  Feeling the security of knowing what each new day would bring.

 

Through a watery smile, she corrects the elder, “It’s Toni, actually.”

 

The elder hums and returns the smile.  “And so it is.”

 

\---

 

Toni blinks.  She looks around the trailer park.  She has the fleeting sensation that she had just been talking to someone but no one is around.  

 

“Toni?”

 

The soft voice brings a small smile to Toni’s lips.  She turns to see Cheryl leaning against the doorway of her trailer.  

 

“Are you okay?”  Cheryl whispers into her neck after Toni wraps her arms around the girl.

 

“Yea, just wanted to get some air.  Why are you up?”

 

“Couldn’t sleep without you,” Cheryl mumbles.

 

Toni chuckles.  “Well, let's both get back to bed then.”  She takes Cheryl’s hand and leads them back to her bedroom.

 

\---

 

Cheryl wakes up again.  This time with the reassuring warmth of Toni’s body next to hers.  She's tired but the events of the past few days make it hard for her to calm down enough to fall into a deep sleep.  She looks over at Toni’s sleeping form, taking in the way her eyelids flutter every so often, the puffs of breath that leave through her nose and the tendrils of hair that frame her pretty face.  She scoots closer and smiles to herself when Toni unconsciously wraps an arm around her waist. Cheryl presses a soft, lingering kiss just above each of Toni’s eyes and brushes a few unruly hairs away from her face.

 

“Toni, I-,” Cheryl starts softly, but pauses when she sees the girl fidget, she lowers her voice, not wanting to wake her up but continues.  “You entered my life so suddenly, Toni.  In a period of time where I felt _so_ alone and angry.  I don’t know where you came from but I feel like we were meant to collide.”  Cheryl toys with the hem of Toni’s shirt, nervous to say the thing that is on her mind even though she knows the girl before her is asleep.  

“Sometimes I look at you and I wonder if Jay-Jay sent you down to me, that he knew that I needed a light in my life.  My own personal guardian angel.”  Her eyes roam over Toni’s sleeping face, taking in her perfect features and her heart feels so full in that moment.

 

"If I have you by my side Toni, I feel like everything will be okay."  

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> if you look closely this is how i interpret the lack of Toni's backstory haha :/


End file.
